What milestones should I book photos for my baby?

I get asked all the time….”Aside from newborn photos when does everyone else typically have their kids pictures taken?” While there really is no right or wrong answer, it’s really just your preference, I do think there are certain milestones you won’t want to miss! It’s true that your kids looks, personality and abilities will never grow as much as they do in that first year. You’ll never hear a mother in the first year say, “wow time is going by so slowly”! Everyday it seems your baby is learning something new, or looks a little older than the day before. This is why I think that first year is by far the most crucial time to capture pictures. Here’s my top list of milestones not to miss:

6 months/Sitting up on their own-

While some babies are sitting up well at 6 months others take another month or so to really get the hang of it. This is why I think it’s better to capture “moments” rather than age milestones. I suggest parents book a session during this sitting up stage because we can get a variety of poses that are very different from what we captured during newborn photos. Plus, by 6-7 months you’ll be amazed at how much your baby has grown!! Maybe they’ve added a bunch of cute rolls, or maybe your once chunky baby is now getting tall and slimming down. Either way this is one of the monumental times to have a portrait session. Your baby will be able to interact and show off all those personalities. Of course we all love a smiling portrait, but sometimes that side eye, or that look of what on earth is happening, is even cuter than a smile. Especially if this is a face your child gives you often.

One Year-

This is definitely a no brainer! Baby’s first birthday, and the fact that you’ve survived a first year in motherhood, needs to be celebrated! Some kids are up walking around the studio at this point, others are toddlering around and can maybe pull up on objects to use as a prob. Either way capturing those first walking moments is a must. A lot of photographers, myself included, also offer cake smash photos at this stage. While not all babies love the feeling of sticky icing, or getting dirty, it’s a cute moment to capture as a memory of their Birthday. By this point your kiddo has a huge personality, and usually a mind of their own. It isn’t always the easiest age to capture because they’re now mobile and want to do what they want to do, not what a photographer tells them to do. This is why it’s important to hire a photographer who is great with kids and has plenty of patience.

Year two, and every year after-

While your child is still changing every day, usually those changes happen much slower over time so at this point I think it’s perfectly ok to get them a solo portrait session once a year. What I do for my own kids is do their Birthday photos each year, and then try to plan our family photos at the half way point, this way I essentially have them photographed every 6 months.

You may think these milestones sound like a perfect timeline or you may want more/less. It’s really up to you. I have several families who can’t stand the fact their littles are growing so quickly and so they do pictures every 3 months until baby is 3 years old. Others only capture Birthdays, and that’s ok too.

This is sweet little Ella! I’ve been photographing her since she was born. She came to see me every 3 months for the first year and now every six months and she’s seriously the cutest little thing! Take a look and see how quickly she changed!

I think what’s most important is to start with newborn photos, this is REALLY a time you can never get back and that changes within weeks. I offer what I call a Grow With Me Plan for all my newborn clients. This way you get a heavy discount on session fees and I’ll help to remind you to get those milestone sessions in. If you’re interested in milestone sessions it’s important to discuss this up front with your newborn photographer to see if it’s something they do. You want your photos to look cohesive over time so that when they’re displayed in your home they are all similar in style and edit. If you’re interested in learning more about a session with me head over to my contact page and let’s get to know one another!